


Treasure

by rxootbeer



Category: Banana Bus Squad
Genre: Alternate Universe - Pirate, Angst, Light Angst, M/M, Sea of Thieves AU, lowkey sassy bryce
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-24
Updated: 2018-06-24
Packaged: 2019-05-27 19:31:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,711
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15031679
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rxootbeer/pseuds/rxootbeer
Summary: "What I handle is quite literally your greatest desire. It’s the purest want in your life, something that you desperately crave. For some, it could very well be gold. But for many, it’s something deeper than that. Sometimes you don’t even know you want it until you realize too late.”---John is looking for his treasure.





	Treasure

**Author's Note:**

> you don't realize how much you don't know about something until you start writing it. in this case - ships and the British Navy.

They were out of ammo, out of ideas, and out of hope. The British Navy had backed them into a corner, even out here in the open sea. They chased the Golden Deceit into a storm and wouldn’t let up on their pursuit until John had no choice but to call for the sails to be raised so the storm wouldn’t throw them into the rocks. He thought they could win - instead of shooting them down, the Navy decided to board - but he may have been too cocky. Too many victories got to his head, too many lucky breaks and close encounters had him thinking his crew was invincible.

He knew now that was far from the truth.

They dropped like flies from both sides, and from both sides more came to take their comrade’s place. John tried to hold out as long as he could, but even he could see it was only a matter of time until one lucky hit would knock him down. It was clear the officers weren’t looking for the pirates to surrender. They wanted every last one of them dead, and they were fighting hard to let that be the outcome. 

After knocking someone into the waters below, John turned his head to shout an order over the din of the chaos. “Lower the sails and get us out of here!”

Somewhere amid the fighting, he heard his men yell “Aye, aye, captain!” It wasn’t as easy as he had hoped, though. The Navy refused to allow them to flee, forcing the pirates back and cutting them down where they stood, and killing their own officers seemed to multiply their reinforcements. John cursed at his luck and racked his brain for some miracle that could save his men.

“Captain!” Craig’s panicked voice rose over the noise. “On their ship, look!” 

John looked, and he wished he didn’t. Maybe then he’d be able to deny it easier. There, on the front deck of the Navy’s ship, were multiple barrels of gunpowder that had been stacked to throw overboard if need be. And clinging to the ladder of the main mast from that ship, pistol aimed at a barrel? 

_ Smitty _ .

John nearly toppled out of his bed when someone entered his cabin, his best friend’s name dying on his lips, just like that night. He could never shake the memory out of his head. The explosion rocked both ships, and in the Navy’s confusion, his crew was able to overpower those on the Golden Deceit and set the ship into motion again. His men had to restrain him from jumping into the waters to get to the burning vessel, too shocked to scream for Smitty and instead stared wordlessly at the fire consuming the ship.

“Captain?” Anthony stood in the doorway, sympathy on his face for his friend. Out of everyone who had remained in the crew after that tragedy, he and Craig knew best how it affected him. 

Six months were dedicated to shore leave instead of the usual three, where John drank himself into oblivion and avoided his men. Craig and Anthony ended up having to recruit others to make up for the pirates deserting. While his crew was loyal, they were smart as well and could see John wasn’t getting back out onto the open waters any time soon. He respected their decision and made sure to pay them handsomely as a final thank you. 

Once the Golden Deceit had been repaired and John cleaned himself up long enough to remember he was its captain, they were back out at sea, but it was clear he had lost a part of him the night they lost Smitty. It was now the eighth month since his death, and John still wasn’t any better. 

“I’m up, I’m up.” John sat up and rubbed his eyes, glaring at the sunlight that shone through the window of his cabin. “What’s up?”

“We’re here.” 

All wisps of sleep dissipated as John stood up, heart racing upon hearing Anthony’s words. “Really?”

Anthony nodded and motioned for him to follow. The morning light bathed everything in a soft glow. New faces, and a few old ones milled about, some whispering to each other and others nodding at their captain. “It’s here, just like the woman said.” Ahead of them laid a small island, incredibly small. It would probably take only an hour at most to walk the entire outer shore, with a jungle in the middle. And in front of the jungle, a hut, oddly out of place among the soft colors with its bright blue cloth. 

“I can’t believe the old hag was right.” John scoffed lightly. “Let’s hope this teller is right as well.” He hoped they were. Of the two months spent at sea since Smitty, the second month had been dedicated to scouring the seven seas for a fortune teller that rested off the boundaries of any map to date. The woman who approached John came with no invitation, merely walking up to him and muttering some obscure riddle that they took to be coordinates for the teller. 

“Will they really be able to tell us where our greatest treasure is?” Anthony asked.

John was already turning away to go back to his cabin and gather his things. “Only one way to find out. Get Craig, we’re heading over.”

Reaching the island was easy, and getting to the hut even easier. John promised his men it wouldn’t take long, but he didn’t take into consideration the person they were meeting. He had assumed - like always - that the teller would tell them what they needed. He assumed they’d be gifted with a location that would lead to treasure, told to them by a woman of mysterious origins. Instead, they were met by a young blond man sitting at a small wooden table. The hut was filled with random knick knacks that possibly washed up onto the shores, things ranging from ruined books to jewelry to currency that John had never seen before. On the table was a stone bowl filled with water, which the young man was staring into when they entered. 

He looked up with curious blue eyes and smiled at them. “Morning,” he greeted, chipper and vibrant. “I didn’t expect you guys to get here so soon.”

“You were expecting us?” Craig questioned, already stepping back to the entrance. 

“Of course I was.” The teller stood and outstretched his hand. Each pirate shook it cautiously as he continued. “My name is Bryce. I’m assuming you heard about me from one of my contacts. Please, have a seat.” He gestured to the stools around the table and the three slowly sat down. 

“I’m sorry, but I…” Anthony paused for a moment. “Uh, was expecting something entirely different.”

Bryce laughed and nodded his head in understanding. “I get it, you were expecting some old woman staring into a glass ball, right? There’s actually someone out there like that, but she’s not very reliable.”

“There are more of you?” John asked. 

“Yep, there’s an entire order full of people like us.” Bryce waved his hand with another chuckle. “You’re not here for that, though. You’re looking for your heart’s greatest desire.”

The three men immediately perked up. “I wouldn’t call our search for treasure our heart’s greatest desire, but yes,” John said with a chuckle. Bryce blinked, cocking his head to one side and brows furrowing. 

“Are we talking about the same kind of treasure?”

“...That depends…”

“When you were told I was a fortune teller, it doesn’t mean one’s future or something material like gold. It’s not an actual treasure chest when I say ‘heart’s greatest desire,’” Bryce passed a hand over the bowl in front of him. “That’s not my expertise. What I handle is quite literally your greatest desire. It’s the purest want in your life, something that you desperately crave. For some, it could very well be gold. But for many, it’s something deeper than that. Sometimes you don’t even know you want it until you realize too late.” 

Craig looked to his captain with a frown. “The boys on the ship aren’t going to be happy to hear about this…”

John glared at the blond sitting in front of him, hand already going for his pistol. “We didn’t waste a month of our resources just to be told some bullshit about hearts and desires-”

“Don’t bother killing me.” Bryce grinned, though this one was colder than the last. “I can’t see the future, but I can tell you nothing good will come of murdering me.” 

“Captain, maybe we should give him a chance,” Anthony muttered. He was always the more superstitious one out of the group and didn’t like tempting fate. John continued to glare at Bryce before finally letting go of his gun. 

“Thank you.” Bryce dipped his fingers into the water of the bowl and closed his eyes, leaning against his other hand with a hum. They sat in silence with the only sound being the waves crashing against the shore behind them. 

Finally, Bryce opened his eyes and looked at Craig. “You’re far from home.” Craig’s face seemed to drain of color almost immediately. “You don’t miss it. You miss  _ them _ .” The Brit stared at his hands, mouth opened slightly as if he wanted to say something but couldn’t. “They’re still there, you know. They’re waiting for the day you come home. You should visit them someday.”

Craig abruptly stood up and walked out of the hut, most likely to give himself a chance to breathe. Anthony was in the process of standing when Bryce turned his focus on him. “You.” The man froze in his seat. “You’re a simple man. You already have what you want, don’t you?” Bryce gave him a warm smile and Anthony slowly smiled back. “You do. Cherish it, okay? You won’t find anything better.” 

Anthony nodded and glanced to John, then to where Craig had disappeared to. John waved him off to let him go after their navigator and was left alone with the blond. Bryce stirred the water in his bowl, watching John with calm eyes. “Will you let me tell you?” he asked the captain.

“Just get it over with,” John growled. “I know what I want, and that’s to get out of here.”

Bryce closed his eyes, fingers still stirring in the water when he stopped after only a few seconds. “Oh.” John’s attitude was replaced with worry as the teller opened his eyes slowly. “I don’t think you do know.”

“What?” When Bryce didn’t speak, John grew impatient. “Out with it already.” 

“He’s alive.”

John felt his heart stop in his chest. 

“He hasn’t forgotten about you, and he hopes you haven’t-”

“Shut up!” John shot up from where he sat, pistol out and aimed for Bryce’s head. “Shut up right now or I’ll kill you! You’re lying!”

Bryce didn’t flinch at the gun being pointed at him. “I don’t lie.”

“Yes, you do! You’re lying right now!” 

Anthony and Craig came rushing back to the hut after hearing John’s outburst. “Captain?” Craig grabbed his arm to keep the gun out of Bryce’s face. “John! What’s going on?”

John gritted his teeth and shoved him off. “He’s lying to me. He’s saying...he’s trying to tell me…” His voice wavered and the gun shook in his hand. 

“He’s alive.” Now Bryce seemed frustrated with John’s denial. “He is out there, and I suggest you find him.”

“Is...Is he talking about Smitty?” Anthony stepped forward so John could take a moment. “Do you know where he is? Can you tell us?”

“I’ll tell you where he is,” John spat out. “At the ocean’s floor, where  _ you’ll  _ end up next if you don’t stop with your bullshit.” 

“Threaten me all you want. It won’t change the fact that I’m right.” John would’ve shot Bryce if Craig and Anthony didn’t step in his way to push him back. He had every right to kill the liar that sat before him, calm and collected as if he wasn’t about to die to a pirate captain. He wished the bastard would smile so he’d have satisfaction in clearing it from his face. 

“Can’t you tell us where Smitty is?” Craig pleaded. “If he’s really alive, where can we find him?”

Bryce frowned and shook his head. “I’m sorry, but I can’t locate anyone. That’s beyond what I normally do. I only read a person’s soul and that’s it.”

John barked out a bitter laugh. “Listen to him! I’ve heard some bad shit from men with sea madness, but reading a person’s soul? Smitty is  _ dead  _ and nothing any of us say will change that!” 

“I’m sorry you feel that way. It’s hard to lose someone you loved and never had the chance to tell them.”

Anthony restrained John to keep him from leaping over the table and attacking Bryce, dragging him out as he cursed the blond’s life. Craig watched them go before turning to Bryce. “Please, Bryce. Isn’t there anything you can tell us? Anything at all about where Smitty is?”

“I wish I could, but I know about as much as your captain does. I only know what the soul knows.” He sighed and lifted his hand from the bowl of water. “In the Order of Souls, there’s no successful way to track someone down. Many have tried but failed because a soul is always moving, just like the person it’s attached to. I wish your friend the best of luck and tell him to confess once he finds who he’s looking for. I could feel the turmoil in his soul a mile away.”

“I...guess I’ll do that. Thank you for your help.” Craig bowed his head and left the hut, heading for the rowboat that held Anthony and John. They left behind the little hut on the small island, none of them saying anything about the teller as they rowed back to the Golden Deceit. 

Like Craig had predicted, the crew was none too pleased about the false leads on treasure. They grumbled and complained, but fell silent rather quickly when they noticed their captain wasn’t in the best of moods. John stood at the wheel, staring hard at the floorboards while Craig explained their encounter with the teller. Once that was over, he looked to John. “Where to next, Captain?” John didn’t respond right away, still staring at the floor. “Captain?”

He snapped out of his daze and looked up. “...I don’t know.” 

“What?”

But John was already stepping away from the wheel. He headed down the stairs and rushed into his cabin, leaving his crew in confusion and worry. Anthony and Craig tried a few times throughout the remainder of the day to get him to come out, but he didn’t respond to either of them. They eventually left him be, Craig coming by to inform him that supper was ready and leaving him alone again. 

Bryce’s words had done a number on John. In the following days, Craig had to take over temporarily and charted a course for shore leave again. John hardly left his cabin, the only indication that he was alive being a few grunts in response to someone questioning him through the door. Morale began to drop with each day that passed without the pirates seeing their captain. 

John’s nightmares became more frequent. Smitty in what he thought were his last moments, on that damn ship and risking his life to save theirs. What was he thinking? Ever since that night, it was all John could ask.  _ What was he thinking? _ He blamed himself. Of course, he did. If he had paid attention, kept Smitty in his line of sight, did anything but stand around, Smitty could’ve still been there with him. And to know now that he was alive, John didn’t want to imagine the life he was living. He hoped, despite the ache in his heart, that it was better than the life John chose for them. 

He was forced to eat by the cook who didn’t care for rules on the ship and forced his way into John’s cabin with meals so he wouldn’t starve. Once or twice he was dragged out into the night for fresh air and John was allowed to vent while the cook listened silently. 

“Did you know Smitty hated the ocean?” John said to the cook one night. He shook his head at his stew and looked up at the night sky. “When I first met him, he couldn’t swim. I didn’t know and pushed him into the water of our town. I still feel so guilty about it. I always tried to make sure the ocean couldn’t take him away from me.”

“Still blamin’ yourself over this, Captain?” the cook asked. 

“I’m supposed to look out for my men, Rogers. How can I do that if I can’t even save my best friend?” He paused, then sighed and handed his bowl to Rogers. “That teller said he was alive. I’d give up all the treasure in the world to see him again, even if it was just once, just one more time.”

Rogers nodded sympathetically and patted John’s shoulder. “I know, Captain. You best rest now. Navigator says we’ll be dockin’ by noon.”

John snorted and stood. “I might as well let Craig become captain. He can certainly handle it.”

“Oh, you haven’t seen how it is. Brit can barely handle his own self, much less the crew. We need you at that wheel, Captain John. And should luck favor you, with Smitty at your side again.” Rogers led John back to his cabin and bid him goodnight. 

Sleep didn’t come easy, as usual. He tossed and turned in his bed, swearing that every murmur of the waters crashing against his cabin window was Smitty’s voice calling out to him. When the morning sun rose, John had finally fallen asleep, hands clutching the empty space next to him as if Smitty was still there. 

He woke to the cry of “Land ho!” and the bustle of his men working to dock their ship. John sat up slowly and played with the rings on his fingers, taking a deep breath before getting up and leaving his cabin. He nodded his head at the surprised looks thrown his way, smiling slightly at a few, and headed up to the wheel. Craig looked over and relief seemed to wash over him. He stepped back and let John take the wheel, grinning wearily at his friend.

“Welcome back, Captain.”

“I’m not back yet. Not until a good few drinks. I’ll prepare an apology speech for later.”

When they docked, John let his men do the usual of securing resources, listening for rumors, and finding a bed to stay the night. He took to the tavern with Craig and Anthony, chatting with the two casually until Anthony suddenly stopped.

“Look out, boys.” He nodded his head to the side, where two redcoats were walking through. “Looks like the Navy’s docked here.”

“That’s impossible,” Craig muttered. “This is a pirate’s haven. There’s no way the Navy would dock and walk among pirates.”

“Guess the Queen’s Navy isn’t as pure as she’d assume.” John raised the collar of his coat and continued to walk. “Keep your heads down, fellas. Just because these men might be corrupt doesn’t mean they won’t take us out if they find we belong to the Golden Deceit.” 

The tavern was filled with pirates and redcoats, and neither batted an eye to the other. John took a table in the far corner with his men, keeping an eye on the officers that were as loud as the thieves they sat among. He felt as if something was off, but couldn’t tell what. It wasn’t until he was three drinks into the night did he do another check on his surroundings.

On the other side of the tavern, someone was staring at him. John squinted at the stranger, noticing the red coat and scoffing. It wasn’t uncommon that an officer wanted to ditch his duty for the life of adventure. After all, that was how they got Craig. But this one didn’t seem to want that. He wasn’t trying to get closer to the group like other officers would do. He seemed uncomfortable...and familiar.

John nearly choked on his bite of an apple and Anthony had to hit his back to get him to breathe. “Easy, Captain,” he chuckled. “The last thing we need is you dying over a Granny Smith-”

“Smitty.”

The table went silent as everyone looked to where Smitty was sitting. When he realized all attention was on him, a look of panic crossed his face. 

“Private Smitty!”

An older man approached Smitty and their conversation was drowned out by the chatter of others in the tavern. Judging by the man’s outfit, it was safe to assume he was the Commodore. John tried to stand but Anthony pulled him down. “You can’t go over there,” he hissed. “You’ll start trouble and then we’re screwed!”

He couldn’t find his voice to speak, watching helplessly as Smitty stood and followed the Commodore out of the tavern. His friend glanced his way and his steps seemed to falter, but he flashed the crew a smile before hurrying out the doors. The men stayed quiet, some staring into their drinks while others looked to where Smitty had gone. If finding one of their own was meant to raise morale, it didn’t. Smitty was alive, but at what cost? He was in the hands of the British now and there was no telling if they could get him back.

John couldn’t focus on anything. Someone was talking to him but their voice was muffled. He was trying to decide what to do. He could turn away, he could leave it be. Smitty was alive and that was all that mattered, right? That was all he wanted?

Bryce’s words echoed in his mind. 

_ It’s hard to lose someone you loved and never had the chance to tell them. _

He didn’t just want Smitty alive. He wanted him back, back on the Golden Deceit, back at his side, so that he could tell him day in and day out how much he loved him. That’s what he wanted. That was the treasure he had been searching for, his greatest desire. 

“John!” A firm hit on his shoulder brought him back to reality. Craig nodded his head towards the stairs that led to the rooms. “I think you should take a rest. We’ll...we’ll figure something out in the morning.”

He didn’t have a choice in the matter, Anthony already taking him to his room and bidding him goodnight. John sat on the bed and looked out the window, listening to the nighttime activity on the streets. He couldn’t find sleep and sleep couldn’t find him, so he stayed up, lost in his own mind until there was a knock on his door. 

John sighed and stood, walking over to answer it. “If it’s one of my men, I didn’t jump out the window.” He opened the door, expecting to find Craig or Anthony with a scolding. Instead, he was met with someone suddenly in his arms, hugging him tightly and a sob leaving their lips. He was thoroughly confused and almost drew his cutlass to shove the stranger back, but then they looked up. Smitty’s eyes were filled with tears that caused John to forget how to move. He shook himself out of his shock and immediately closed the door before returning Smitty’s hug. He let out a shaky exhale as Smitty cried into his shoulder.

“How?” John asked once Smitty’s cries had died down. “How did you survive?”

“I didn’t consider distance when I shot those barrels. I was too far from the explosion and I just dropped into the ocean. When it sank the ship, I found a piece of wood and just...hung on for dear life.” Smitty laughed weakly. “Sounds really lame, but that’s what happened. Another Navy ship found me and picked me up. They...They told me the Golden Deceit had sunk. No survivors. I didn’t believe them. I hoped, I  _ prayed  _ that you were alive.”

His voice cracked and John gently ran his hand through Smitty’s hair, quieting him before he could start crying again. “Well, the Golden Deceit is still sailing, and I’m still living. I actually went to some fortune teller and he told me that you were still alive. Something about souls and shit. I almost didn’t believe him.”

“Wow, I’m dead to you and you resort to some magical bullshit. Remind me never to die again so you don’t sell your soul.” 

“Hey, that implies I have a soul.” 

“You’re right, my bad.” The two laughed, just like old times when Smitty stayed in John’s cabin and tossed jokes about. Old times that they both thought about during their time away. “Hey, John?”

“Yeah?”

Smitty paused for a moment before leaning in and pressing a gentle kiss to the captain’s lips. John didn’t hesitate to kiss back. Why would he? Somehow, he always knew but never acted. And like Bryce had said, it was hard to live with the fact that he could’ve lived and never admitted his feelings. He wasn’t going to screw this up.

When they pulled away, John smiled softly. “I love you, and I’m going to take you away from those royal dogs.”

“You can’t. They know you guys are here, and they had a feeling someone would come for me. If you do anything, they’ll kill you.”

John scoffed. “That’s not going to stop me. You belong with us, with me.” Smitty’s face burned a light red at John’s words. “Do I have to negotiate with them? Because I will.”

“They don’t talk things out, John, all they care about is being rich.” Smitty regretted his words as a smirk slowly crept onto John’s face. “John, what are you planning?”

“Where’s your Commodore?”

When they left, John grabbed Craig and Anthony from the counter of the tavern and Smitty led them outside. Though all three questioned John’s motives, he didn’t answer any of their questions, simply warning them to have their guns ready in case things went wrong. 

Smitty took them to a well-kept building further inland, where redcoats were milling about as if they owned the island. Two guards at the building glanced at the three pirates following Smitty, but he waved them off and they allowed entry. The inside was nice and furnished, clearly a common hideout for the Navy judging by the numerous items showing the British flag. 

Heading down a hall, Smitty stopped at a closed door and took a deep breath, glancing to the others. John took his head and gave it a gentle squeeze before nodding, watching as he knocked on the door. 

“Come in.”

Smitty entered with the three pirates in tow. His commanding officer sat at a rather regal desk, a bottle of wine in the corner and a glass in front of him. Watching the four enter, his eyes narrowed. “What is this, Private?”

“I honestly don’t know, Commodore Johnson.” Smitty stepped back to let John take the lead. “But Captain John wishes to speak with you.”

Johnson sneered at the title of captain and leaned back in his chair. “It better be about his surrender, otherwise I don’t want to hear it.”

“It isn’t. I’m here to ask you to let Smitty come back to the Golden Deceit.”

There was a brief pause before Johnson was howling with laughter. Smitty shifted uncomfortably while Craig and Anthony glanced to the door, prepared for redcoats to come in and kill them. John stayed calm, watching as Johnson wiped at his eyes once his laughter fit died down. “You must be joking. You don’t honestly believe I’ll hand Smitty over to you that easily, do you? Besides, he likes it here. He’s a respectable young man under my command. Could you say the same for when he worked for you?”

“Smitty didn’t work  _ for  _ me,” John snapped. “He worked  _ with  _ me. There’s a big difference.”

“Is that so?” Johnson leaned over so he could look to the two behind John. “Can either of you vouch for your captain here?”

Anthony immediately spoke. “Yes, I actually can. On the Golden Deceit, there is no status. Every man is equal, and every man is family.” There was a softness to Anthony’s words as he continued. “It’s what I’ve been looking for all these years, and I finally found it among this crew. Everyone is family, and Smitty here has always been a part of that.”

John smiled at his friend and turned to the Commodore. “As heartwarming as that was, Anthony, I don’t think the dog here has a heart to even warm.” Johnson’s face twisted in annoyance, fingers drumming harshly against the desk. “So now that you know that Smitty has, and will always have, a place beside me, I’ll ask again. I would like for him to come back to the Golden Deceit.”

Johnson stared John down, gaze unwavering from both sides. “...No. You may gain a crew member back, but I lose an officer. So I’ll decline your request and ask you to leave.”

John could practically feel the disappointment of the three men behind him, but he didn’t back down. He would come out of this on top, even if he had to drive a damn sword through the commodore’s throat. “If you want money, I can give it to you.” He noticed how Johnson seemed to sit straighter. “I’m a pirate, Commodore. What, did you think I sailed the seven seas for the sights? An entire trove of treasure collected on my voyages. I’ll give you the coordinates if you let Smitty come back.”

“And how do you know I won’t ask my men to kill you all once you give me the coordinates?”

Now it was Craig’s turn to give his two cents. “Because Her Majesty will grow suspicious that the Golden Deceit’s crew was slain and yet your crew managed to come out unscathed.” He smiled at the Commodore. “Ex-navigator Thompson, Commodore. Not even Her Majesty believes in miracles that large.”

A scowl pulled on Johnson’s lips. “So I’m led to believe. Besides an easy story to feed to Her Majesty, what else is stopping me?”

“The fact that my fiancée will definitely know of my death. Perhaps you’ve heard of Lady Suni?”

The commodore’s face paled and John wanted to hug the living daylights out of his friend and his damn British ways. “Lady Suni, daughter to…”

“Colonel Dey of the British Navy, yes.” The smile on Craig’s face grew. “I have connections outside of piracy, Commodore Johnson. One will know of my death and inform my fiancée. It’ll be investigated, and it will result in you being found here, on a pirate island, riddled with other wanted crews. How odd.”

Johnson slammed his fist on the desk. “Fine! Enough with your blackmail! Give me the coordinates and leave. Take your bloody friend with you as well.” 

In a quick exchange of numbers, the Commodore had the coordinates and John had Smitty by the hand. He shoved at his two friends to get them to leave and the group ran down the hall, whooping and hollering as they went. The redcoats watched in shock as they left, unsure of how to react. 

Back at the tavern, the entire crew of the Golden Deceit, as well as a few other crews, because who didn’t like a happy ending, rejoiced at the reunion of their captain and his quartermaster. John held onto Smitty for the remainder of the night and well into the morning, kissing him when he was sure the others weren’t looking and hugging him when he knew they were. Smitty laughed softly each time, heart swelling whenever his eyes met John’s. 

“Hey, Craig,” John called to his navigator. Craig lifted his head up sleepily and leaned against Anthony, who was also dozing beside him. “That stuff about having a fiancée, was it true?”

Craig chuckled. “Every last bit. I was engaged to the most beautiful girl in all of England. She was how I got into the Navy anyway. I thought she had given up on me, but what Bryce told us...he was talking about her.” He smiled at a spot on the wall. “She’s still waiting for me to come home.”

“And I’ll make sure you get home to her. How long have you left her as fiancée? I think it’s time to change that.” John glanced at Anthony. “And you. Did you mean it when you called this crew your family?”

Anthony nodded slowly, still on the verge of drifting off. “It’s what Bryce meant when he said I already found what I wanted. You guys are family.” Before John could make any other comment, Anthony dropped onto the table with a snore. He laughed and looked down at Smitty resting against him, surprised to find him awake still.

“I’m glad you’re back.” John left a soft kiss on his head. “You’ll have to tell me about everything you’ve done without me. There’s gotta be something exciting from your journey.”

Smitty grinned at him. “Oh, there definitely was. But nothing will top the time a pirate captain blackmailed my Commodore for my freedom. Were those coordinates really to a trove of treasure, by the way?”

John scoffed. “Not at all. Would I really hoard treasure like that? It’s coordinates to the fortune teller I told you about. I think your friend is gonna need him.”

“Oh my God. He’s going to kill him!”

“He can’t. Trust me, I put a gun to that guy’s head and I couldn’t find it within myself to pull the trigger.” John sighed and leaned back. “But that soul bullshit aside, he did help me find my treasure.” 

“Treasure?”

“Yeah. You.”

“...That’s so goddamn lame, I’m leaving you for the Navy again.”

“You wouldn’t dare.”

“Yeah, I really wouldn’t.” Smitty kissed his cheek. “I love you way too much to be away from you again.”

**Author's Note:**

> this took me a month to write i am so sorry.
> 
> you'll have to pry bryce working for the Order of Souls from my cold dead hands. 
> 
> come find me on tumblr @rxootbeer


End file.
